Kobe Bryant was on Good Morning America on Monday to sell something, presumably. A book. A cologne. Maybe a hair care product. Who knows. But when Robin Roberts asked him if he misses basketball, that’s when Kobe let his guard down and gave an honest answer.
Just kidding! Here’s what he said when asked if he misses being out on the hardwood.
Does @kobebryant miss basketball?
Nope.
The @NBA legend explains why… pic.twitter.com/o4eiec83r3
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 24, 2017
The full transcription is below:
“No, I don’t. It’s crazy. I started playing when I was 2. And after playing for 20 years in the league, what I have now is everything I’ve learned from the game, I carry with me to this day. So the game’s truly never left me. Physically, yes. But emotionally and the things that I write, stem from the games. So it’s still part of me. And the other thing is that for athletes that come next, understand that there is a finality to it. And that’s OK. It’s very hard to let go for something you’ve done for half your life. It’s kind of become who you are. But there’s a difference between doing what you do vs. understanding that’s not who you are. And hopefully other athletes can see that and understand that.”
Sorry, but there is no way that someone as egomaniacal … sorry, driven … as Kobe doesn’t miss being the alpha on a basketball court. And if a magic fairy granted him three wishes today, they would all be to play basketball again. You can hear the longing in his voice. “The game’s never truly left me.” Yeah, right. You can practically hear him saying internally, “Actually, when you think about it, I am still in the NBA and averaged 27.5 points per game this season.” Come on, Kobe.
He seems to also be taking solace in knowing other careers will also end and those players will join him in the Denial Retirement Home where you have to do morning shows to satisfy your craving for attention.
Being a professional athlete is cool. Being one of the best professional athletes ever is amazing. Pretending like you don’t miss it is silly, especially when you were clinging to the end of your career like a climber clings to a rock on a mountain face.
